After Green Meets Black
by Erica Dawn
Summary: DH Spoilers! Basically, this is what I think happened during the end and then nine years later.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own anything. Everything belongs to JKR.

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Those green eyes were the last thing Severus Snape ever saw as it all went black. Then there was light, so much light that his eyes had to adjust and when they did, it looked like the woods when he was a boy.

"Severus!" yelled Lily, running to him, but this wasn't Lily as they'd met when they were young. This Lily was as she was upon graduating Hogwarts, an adult. He could only stare and when she hugged him, he hugged back and if he had not already died, he would have done so as she kissed his cheek.

"I knew you'd come eventually," she spoke, her voice as smooth as honey and his insides warmed at the sound although he couldn't believe she would expect him here after everything that happened…everything he did. Once as they were first years in Hogwarts castle, the two could know what the other thought without speaking and she proved that she still had that ability by adding, "Dumbledore told us what you did, watching over my son."

"I'm sorry for what we did," started Potter who Severus hadn't noticed and his former adversary looked towards Black who stood a few feet away, "We're sorry for what we did. Thank you."

Black looked at the ground as though Severus were the sun and just the sight of him would burn the man although he gave the barest of nods. It was as good an apology as any and he found that it didn't quite matter anymore anyway.

"Where is Albus?" he asked and looked to see that no one else was around before looking back at Lily and her beautiful eyes.

"Around," she answered which sounded like the man he knew, "he spends a lot of time with his sister. She's a sweet girl."

That thought was interrupted by the arrival of a new couple, walking hand in hand. He was surprised at how much it saddened him to see Lupin and Tonks. Her figure was still fuller from the pregnancy and he realized he was more shocked at her death than her husband's. The others ran to them, but Severus hung back as though it wouldn't be appropriate. There were hugs and tears and all of that while he leaned against a tree when a voice startled him.

"So, you weren't a git after all!" the voice exclaimed and he turned to see none other than Fred Weasley.

"What makes you say that?" he questioned, trying to maintain a sense of his usual demeanor.

"Well, you're here, aren't you? I bet not Voldemort or any of his real followers could pull that off," the younger man retorted with a grin. Severus had been caught and revealed for all eternity as a fool with his heart on his sleeve. At this rate, he may as well admit to everything, but the words never went past his tongue. Lily was looking at something he couldn't see and suddenly called, "He needs us!"

"Harry?" asked Fred and Severus nodded; not wanting to remember what was to come. This could only mean one thing: that Harry had seen what he'd given him and understood what was to be done. The group started to walk away until she peered back and beckoned to him, "Come." With a shake of the head, he refused and knew as he did so that it would be one of the most cowardly acts he'd ever done except as hard as it was to see acceptance of one's death in Albus' blue eyes, he doubt he could take it in Harry's green ones. Tonks let go of Lupin and stayed as well.

"Didn't seem right, that's all," she remarked and gave him an inquisitive glance.

"He'd probably apologize and that's not something I need to hear, Tonks" Severus explained and they didn't notice Fred leave. As she stood next to him, she became younger before his very eyes so that she was seventeen again and he looked at his hands to see that the same must have happened to him.

"You were the first to call me Tonks," she commented as her hair changed back to brown, "I'd always hated my given name, but didn't want everyone to call me Dora."

"I call…" he started and stumbled to correct himself, "called all the new students by their last name."

It was a strange thought to think that there would be no more new students for him. Someone else held that responsibility now. Someone else would look after the students to come, like the baby Tonks had left behind. He couldn't imagine…

"Do you regret it?" he inquired and a sad look appeared in her brown eyes before she answered, "No, I want him to have better than his parents did."

"Is he a Werewolf then?"

"I don't know," she admitted, "The full moon isn't for eleven more days, but he was like me. When I left, he was sleeping and his hair was blue again."

Severus wasn't sure what to say.

"I barely knew him," she complained and laid a hand on her stomach as if she was still pregnant, "But I hope he understands. I know why my dad did what he did."

There was silence once more and she asked the same of him, "Any regrets?"

Regrets…there were so many that came to mind and so few he would actually be willing to share so he went for the simplest response, "Not if Voldemort is defeated finally."

They shared a small smile at his finally able to say the name and waited for the others to return.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own anything except details and maidoforange on LJ is who I saw first come up with Harry having additional portraits made for his home.

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Harry felt a bit guilty because while he had come to visit the Headmaster, it was her office that he was more interested in. With a hand over the toddler's face, he threw down the powder and announced, "Minerva McGonagall's office."

The experience made the boy laugh and he was struck, not for the first time, at how different his sons were. James always cried and threw a tantrum at having to floo; preferring side-along apparition but being Hogwarts, this wasn't an option. His former Head of House wasn't present even though he had owled her although he'd rather do this part alone.

"Albus…Severus," he called and Dumbledore quickly appeared while Snape revealed that he wasn't really sleeping by opening one black eye.

"I have someone I'd like to introduce you to," Harry said as he struggled to hold onto the squirming boy who wanted desperately to get down.

"Is that James?" asked Albus, pushing up his spectacles.

"No, James is almost three and a half. This is the new baby," he explained before silently adding, although not for long, "This is Albus Severus Potter."

The old man beamed and exclaimed, "What an honor! Thank you, Harry."

Both eyes have shot open in the other portrait and Snape looked at the toddler. Originally, Harry and Ginny had planned to give their first born this name, but upon seeing him for the first time, they decided to wait and he'd become James Sirius Potter.

"He has Lily's eyes," he spoke and that was what they'd waited for, so Snape's namesake would have those green eyes that he wished to see as he died. Trying not to grin, he watched as his former Potions' professor excused himself through portraits to reach Dumbledore's for a better look and Phineas crowded into the frame as well. Young Albus watched with keen interest.

"Taza!" he yelled and stretched his left hand towards the moving figures.

"No, you can't touch," said his father and lightly grabbed his hand.

"He'd make a fine Slytherin," Phineas commented.

"If that is what he chooses to be," Harry said and readjusted his hold on the boy, "He's named after two great Headmasters and either of their houses would make me proud."

All eyes turned to Snape who looked away although what he could make out of the face was paler than usual. He heard the staircase move and the door opened for Minerva. It was strange to think of her on a first name basis and stranger still to notice how much older she appeared since he'd seen her last. She was eating something.

"Sherbet lemon?" she offered and set two on the desk, "They had them downstairs at the feast and I found I couldn't resist them…this time."

He couldn't honestly tell what she was thinking that caused the pained expression on her face and she answered the question without his asking, "This is my last feast, Harry. I won't be back next year."

How odd to try and picture Hogwarts without at least Minerva. There was a realization that he'd taken for granted that the ones who'd survived that final battle would always be there and he was struck by an impulse to tell her that Ginny was pregnant again even though they hadn't told a soul yet.

"I never liked Halloween," the woman admitted and he could understand. October 31st was inexplicably linked with the murder of his parents who should have been doting over their grandchildren just as much as Teddy should have been being taken house to house by his parents and not his grandmother. Exactly twenty six years had passed since Harry was made an orphan and it made him sad to think how he had not only outlived them, he was getting to do all the things they never would. It was a strange responsibility to live life the best he could because they couldn't. Young Albus leaned until his father set him on the desk and the toddler took one of the candies.

"Like his namesake," Minerva commented with a small smile before glancing at the portrait and he could tell it grew a little when she saw that Snape had left the confines of his own. In that moment, Harry decided something that he and Ginny had been in conflict over. His wife was so sure that the new baby would be a girl and wanted to name her Molly after her mother, but he wanted to name her Lily after his mother. At the time, there only seemed to be one logical way to settle it. Now he saw how incredibly childish it was to have a Quidditch match over it although she kept teasing him how she'd played professionally so he did get a certain satisfaction from reminding her, "Youngest seeker in a century." She responded by sticking her tongue out at him which James had mimicked and telling him that he had to come up with a middle name as well.

Lily Minerva Potter, he thought to himself.

"I'm not sure who is to replace me, but I don't know how kindly they would take to your visits to their office to talk to portraits," she warned him while taking the boy in her arms. Harry nodded and decided he should have some portraits made for his house.


End file.
